The Leader of the Pack
by cheri1
Summary: 10/Rose. After the events of Tooth and Claw, Rose realizes she is a werewolf. She leaves the Doctor so she can find someplace where she won't hurt anyone and finds a community of werewolves. She becomes one of them while the Doctor hunts for her.FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is AU and takes place directly after Tooth and Claw.

Chapter One

It started with just a scratch.

A tiny scratch that Rose had gotten trying to get away from the werewolf. She had turned the corner with the wolf pursuing her and narrowly missed getting her arm biten off by the enraged beast. She escaped with just a scratch from the wolf's tooth when he tried to clamp down on her arm as she swung it back behind her and she thanked God that was all she got. But almost from the time they got back to the TARDIS, Rose began feeling funny inside as if her insides were shifting around. She ignored it, thinking it was just her imagination, especially since she and the Doctor had the conversation about Queen Victoria being a werewolf.

But she began having weird dreams where she saw herself as a wolf running through the woods with a wolf pack, bringing down deer and slaughtering them. Again, she dismissed it as just a byproduct of their recent adventures. But then they landed on Uqia and set out to explore some ancient ruins there. They had ventured far from the TARDIS in their search for the ruins and had to spend the night with some locals in their huts. The men and women were segregated and Rose had to stay in a woman's hut while the Doctor slept in a men's hut across the village from her. That night, there had been a full moon and Rose woke up, feeling funny. She thought she was gonna be sick and stumbled out of the hut into the woods, thinking she had to throw up. Instead, to her horror, the moon came out from behind some clouds and she began to change into a werewolf. The change was both painful and terrifying and she tried to get as far away from the village as she could in case she got the urge to turn back and slaughter everyone.

She spent that night, roaming through the woods in her wolf form, howling at the moon and stalking small prey. She wasn't as big as the Scottish wolf had been, she was a bit sleeker than he was but she was still just as powerful. While she was the wolf, she enjoyed the freedom and exhilaration of running through the woods on all fours, her powerful paws propelling her through the forest. Her sharp eyes could spot the slightest movement, even from small vermin that scampered through the undergrowth and she had never felt more alive. But when dawn came and she changed back to her human form, she was terrified of the Doctor finding out what had happened but even more afraid of hurting him or changing him into a wolf like her. She managed to make it back to the hut, butt naked, and had to beg one of the native women to let her have one of her hide dresses. Once she had the dress then she had to lie to the Doctor and tell her that she felt like going native. To her relief, her lie was convincing and the Doctor admired her hide dress, unaware of the reason behind why she was wearing it. After eating breakfast, she and the Doctor thanked their hosts and made their way back to the TARDIS.

Since then she had been living in dread that they would land somewhere, step out and there would be a full moon. That was the danger of time travel now, a full moon that could happen anytime, anywhere that would cause Rose to lose control and change and attack the man she loved. She realized that in order to protect him, she would have to leave the TARDIS for good. So, with a heavy heart, she walked into the console room one day and saw the Doctor sitting on his jump seat, reading a book. She walked over to him and the moment he saw her, he lowered the book and smiled.

"Ah, there you are, ready for another fabulous adventure?" he asked her.

"Doctor, I've been thinking…" Rose said. "I think it's time for me to leave."

The smile fell off his face.

"What? You mean for good?" he said.

Rose nodded and he stood up.

"Why?" he said, taking her hands. "I thought you loved traveling with me."

"I do…I mean, I did. I don't anymore," Rose stammered.

"Rose…is it because I've changed?"

Rose hadn't considered that but she realized his regeneration made a great excuse for her to leave. She nodded.

"I…I don't like being around you anymore. I prefer the other Doctor," she said, trying to make it sound convincing.

"But you haven't given me a chance yet. I know it takes some getting used to after I change but if you just wait…"

"No, I want to go home. I need to get on with my life anyway," Rose said. "I'm sorry but I want to do this."

It was hard fighting the urge to hug him when she saw the forlorn look on his face. She felt like an ass doing this but she knew the Doctor loved her and she didn't want him knowing that the woman she loved was a werewolf who might turn on him at any time. She figured that there was no cure apart from death and she didn't want to spend the rest of her life in a cage. For both their sakes, she had to leave and find somewhere where she could live and not harm anyone. She could see the Doctor's anguish and practically hear his hearts breaking but before she could say anything more, he went past her to the console and without another word began inputting the coordinates for home. She turned and noticed he was now angry but she dared not say anything in case either one of them changed their minds. So she went and sat down and waited for the Doctor to take her back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rose felt her spirits sink when the TARDIS stopped and powered down. All during the trip, the Doctor had avoided her, averting his eyes while he stood at the console and stared down at it. Her heart hurt knowing she was causing him pain but she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. She sat on the jump seat, hands in her lap, while the Doctor flew his ship back home. While she stared at her hands, her mind was running a mile a minute. She couldn't tell her mother either. Her mother would be traumatized, not to mention she would blame it on the Doctor when he was blameless. She couldn't stay with her mother and risk hurting her too. She needed to go somewhere where she wouldn't be a threat. She did have a bit of money saved up and she thought about taking a train into the countryside and losing herself in a forest somewhere, eking out a living from the land as best she could. She just couldn't trust herself to be around people anymore.

When the TARDIS stopped, she leapt up and hurried to the front door, eager to be out of the TARDIS and away from uncomfortable situation she found herself in. She started to open the door when the Doctor seized her right wrist.

"Rose," he said in a choked up voice.

Rose swallowed hard and forced herself to turn around. Her heart nearly shattered when she saw the grief on the Doctor's face and it took all she had not to take him in her arms.

"Rose, you don't have to do this," he said. "Please, give me a chance. I know I wasn't truthful with you about regeneration and I'm sorry about that. But it's still me. I'm the Doctor. Please stay."

Rose's mind was screaming at her to stay with him but she knew she couldn't do that. She loved the Doctor so much, she didn't want to cause him pain or endanger him. With all her willpower, she forced herself to shake her head and jerked her wrist out of his grasp. She sighed when the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder.

"You have your mobile, yeah?" the Doctor said softly. "Use it if you ever want to come back. If you change your mind, ring me, and I'll come back straightaway. Please consider doing that. I enjoy traveling with you."

"Goodbye, Doctor," Rose murmured before she forced herself to walk out of the TARDIS.

She waited for the Doctor to stop her but her heart lurched when she heard the door close behind her. She stood still and tears came to her eyes when she heard the TARDIS start up and the familiar wheezing while it dematerialized. She kept telling herself it was for the best while she headed for the front door of the Powell Estate.

"And so I said to Estelle, you must be daft if you think John is gonna sleep with you, the man's married and…"

Jackie paused in her phone conversation when she heard a knock at the front door.

"Wait a tic, got someone at the front door," Jackie said before setting the phone receiver down on the table.

She walked over to the door, opened it and gasped with pleasure when she saw Rose standing there.

"Oh! Rose!" she said, hugging her tightly, "It's so good to see you again. I've missed you. Wait a tic, I was talking to Mary and I need to tell her you're here. Come inside and have a cuppa."

Rose trudged into the flat while Jackie hurried back to the phone to tell Mary she would talk to her later. Rose headed past her to the kitchen. She wasn't really thirsty but she needed to do something to keep herself from breaking down and crying. She walked over to the cabinet, took down a white mug and filled it with tea from the kettle.

"Where's the Doctor?" Jackie said, coming into the kitchen. "Is he waiting in the TARDIS?"

"The Doctor's gone, mum," Rose said in a dull voice as she turned around with her mug.

"He left you here for a visit?"

"No, I mean, he's gone for good."

Jackie did a double take.

"What? Why?"

"I left, mum. I…can't get used to this new version of him so I asked to come home."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I thought you loved traveling," Jackie said, walking over to her.

This time Rose couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes. Jackie pulled her into an embrace as they flowed down her cheeks.

"I do love traveling but he's not the same Doctor," she sobbed. "I just couldn't get along with him."

"Well, perhaps it's for the best," Jackie said. "You need to think about settling down, finding a proper job and living a good life."

"Actually, I wanted to take a holiday before I did that," Rose said.

"Holiday? Isn't that what you've been doing the past year?"

"I…just need to recover from this and calm down, get back into a real world mindset before I go looking for a job," Rose said.

"Where are you going to go?" Jackie said.

"Don't know yet. I might go for a hike in the countryside somewhere. I just need time to think."

"Okay, but you're always welcome here, love," Jackie said. "If you need your space, you can stay here and I'll stay out of your way."

"I appreciate that, mum, but I'd rather be on my own, away from others for a bit," Rose said.

"So are you leaving now? I don't get to chat with you for a bit before you go running off to the countryside?"

Rose sighed, wanting to just tell her mother that she wanted to leave now. But she didn't want to raise her suspicions so she agreed to spend the night with her and leave in the morning. But even as she agreed to that, she hoped that there wouldn't be a full moon tonight. Jackie poured herself a cup of tea and she and Rose went into the living room.

The next morning, Rose was up early, making sure she was awake before her mother. She had a rucksack that she filled with a couple of sets of clothes, toiletry items, a book and some food. She ate a hurried breakfast and washed up her dishes. She used the toilet, checked that she had her money and passport on her and hurried to the door. On the way out, she paused, reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out her mobile. She put it on top of the sofa and glanced at it for a moment before she walked to the door. She opened the door and looked back at the silent apartment.

"Goodbye, mum. If I don't ever see you again, I love you," she said softly before she walked out and shut the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Venusian cocktail, no ice."

The Doctor finished giving his order to the barkeep as he sat at the bar in a crowded, smoky watering hole deep inside Venus. He hadn't been to this pub in years because he very rarely drank alcohol and very, very rarely got drunk. But after Rose left, he suddenly had the urge to do both. The barkeep gave him his cocktail and the Doctor stared at the purple liquid inside the fluted glass. Then he raised it to his lips and sipped, letting the sweet liquid fill his mouth before he swallowed it. As he took a second sip, he mentally chided himself for this behavior. Companions had left him before and they would leave him in future so why was he so bent out of shape over one silly human leaving him.

_Because she was more than just a silly human,_ he thought to himself as he took another sip. _Rose was unique._

It wasn't just that though. He was upset with himself for not telling Rose about his ability to regenerate. He had always meant to bring it up but they were always busy and he never found the right time. It wasn't easy to work regeneration into a day to day conversation. But at the same time, he thought she had adjusted to him. She seemed fine when they were in Scotland, laughing and joking with him. She never seemed ill at ease with him which was why he was thrown for a loop when she suddenly told him she was leaving without any warning. She didn't even give him a chance to explain. Why didn't she just calm down and listen to him? Why was she in such a hurry to leave.

_And for that matter,_ he thought. _What's so great about the Powell Estates that she'd want to go rushing back to it? I showed her time and space and she wants a council flat? Humans. _

He took a long swig of his cocktail and finished it off. He looked down at the empty glass and signaled for the barkeep to come over to him.

"Yes, mate?" the barkeep said.

"Another one of these," the Doctor said, pointing to the glass.

"Shouldn't you slow down? The night's still young."

The Doctor turned his head and saw a woman sitting on his right side. She had pale green skin and feline features with long dark green hair. She was smoking a hookah and lowered the stem of the pipe after inhaling a lungful of the powerful narcotic that came with the water pipe. The Doctor never considered trying one of the hookahs since he knew the narcotic was so powerful it could knock you on your ass. But for a few seconds, he thought about ordering one so he could get so stoned, he would forget about Rose for a few hours. He quickly shook the thought from her mind and turned his attention to the woman who was studying him while she smoked her hookah.

"I lost someone," he said to her.

The woman lowered the pipe stem.

"Lover?" she said.

The Doctor thought about that. They had gotten close in his Ninth life and he did have to admit that he loved her very much but what they had together was more of a tentative relationship. Perhaps if Rose had stayed it would have blossomed into a full blown romance so he really didn't know how to answer that question. In the end, he decided not to and just shrugged while he took a sip of the new drink in front of him.

"I don't mean to be rude, I just see a lot of men in here who drown their sorrows in alcohol," she said.

"I'm just upset and felt like having a drink," the Doctor said. "Nothing wrong with that, is there? I mean, you're not exactly abstaining from mind altering substances either."

"I don't do this often, just when I need to relax. I'm Te'lana," she said, extending her hand.

"The Doctor," he said, shaking her hand.

"So, instead of going after your friend or significant other, you'd rather get pissed out of your mind in a smoky bar on Venus," she said.

"She doesn't want to be with me anymore," the Doctor said.

"Why? Were you a bastard and treated her like shite?"

"No. On the contrary, I treated her like gold."

"Then why'd she leave?"

She held up her hand when the Doctor sighed.

"I don't mean to pry, it's just that you seem like a nice bloke and not the type of person to beat on a woman or rape her or do something like that."

"I never did anything of the sort," the Doctor said indignantly. "I…my kind can change their bodies if we're fatally injured and I changed my body and she didn't like it."

"Must have been one hell of a studly body the last time since I couldn't imagine leaving you over this one."

The Doctor blushed slightly when she took a long drag on her pipe while she admired his body.

"Well, she's gone now and there's nothing I can do about it," the Doctor said before taking another swig of his cocktail.

"Do you love her?" Te'lana asked him.

The Doctor held the liquid in his mouth before swallowing it. He stared at the liquid as he swirled it around in his glass.

"I do," he finally said.

"Well, go get her, ya git," Te'lana said.

"It's not as simple as that. I respect her enough to let her make her own decision about being with me."

"Okay, good, but you can still at least plead your case, right?"

The Doctor swirled the liquid around in his glass while he thought that over.

"She wouldn't let me. I tried to explain but she just left before I could give her a proper explanation," he finally said.

"So…maybe she's calmed down now and ready to listen. The least you could do is try it, right? She's turned you down already so it won't make any difference if she turns you down again. But, what if you can convince her to come back? See, that's why you should risk going back for her."

A smile slowly spread over the Doctor's face and he nodded.

"Yeah, I could do that, couldn't I?" he said.

"Be better than sitting here getting drunk off your arse, right?" Te'lana said.

"Yeah, I got better things to do," he said. "Thank you for this chat and making me see sense again."

"Hey, anything I can do to help. You're a nice guy, this woman doesn't know what she's got, she needs to be reminded."

The Doctor nodded. Te'lana wished him good luck when he stood up from the bar stool and gave him a friendly peck on the cheek. The Doctor said goodbye to her and headed out of the pub, determined to convince Rose to come back to him.

He opened the door of the TARDIS and froze when he heard his phone ringing on the console. His hearts raced as he slammed the door and zoomed towards it. All he could think about as he ran to it was that Rose had changed her mind and was coming back to him. He rounded the console and seized the phone.

"Rose!" he said into the receiver.

He heard sobbing and his hearts lurched.

"Rose, please listen to me, I need to explain," he said tenderly.

"I'm not Rose."

The Doctor did a double take.

"Jackie? What's the matter? Is Rose alright?"

"I don't know but she's gone and she left behind her phone. I think something's wrong, Doctor. She came back home and immediately wanted to leave for the countryside to be alone. What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything. She suddenly told me she no longer wanted to be with me."

"Well," Jackie sniffed. "She told me she was going on holiday but she left this morning before I woke up and she left her mobile here so I have no way to contact her. I'm afraid there's something more to this than she's letting on."

"Hold on, Jackie, I'm coming," the Doctor said. "Whatever got into Rose, we'll sort it out. I'll be there in a few tics. Wait for me."

Jackie told him she would and the Doctor sighed as he hung up the phone.

"What's going on, Rose?" he said while he set the coordinates. "There's something wrong, something you couldn't tell me and I intend to find out what it is."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

After the Doctor landed, it wasn't thirty seconds later when he heard furious ponding on his front door. The Doctor sighed and walked over to it.

"Alright, Jackie, don't knock my door down!" he yelled when he reached it.

The pounding stopped and he unlocked the door. He opened it and Jackie was standing there with red eyes and tear stained cheeks. The Doctor invited her inside and Jackie shook her head.

"I don't trust this thing. Come inside the flat," she said.

"I'd trust being inside the TARDIS before I'd trust being inside your flat," the Doctor mumbled before he stepped outside and closed the door.

He followed her across the car park to the entrance. She led him upstairs and when he was inside her flat, she closed the door behind him and went to get him a cup of tea.

"I've rang several of the train stations," she said to him from the kitchen while she got him his tea. "She left Liverpool Street Station and headed for Norwich."

"Jackie, has it occurred to you that Rose just wanted to be alone and left her mobile behind so no one would bother her?" the Doctor said as he sat down on the sofa.

"She wouldn't leave her mobile behind, Doctor. She's a responsible, young woman, you know that."

The Doctor nodded. Jackie came to him with a mug of tea and he thanked her while he took it.

"She could've taken her mobile and just turned it off if she didn't want to be disturbed. She'd never go off and leave me no way of contacting her. This isn't like her."

"I agree. Leaving me out of the blue isn't like her, either."

"She told me that she couldn't get used to your regeneration and she left."

"Yes, she told me that as well but…I never saw any sign of it. We were getting along great until now and suddenly she wants nothing more to do with me."

"Well, what's the last thing you did before she left?" Jackie said. "Does it have anything to do with her leaving ya?"

"Went to Scotland in 1879 and met Queen Victoria. This cult had an alien werewolf and they wanted the werewolf to bite her because they worshiped the wolf and wanted a werewolf on the throne. We destroyed the werewolf and then we were knighted by Queen Victorian before I was banished from England forever."

Jackie sat there in a stunned silence when he finished.

"Okay, suddenly, Rose needing a holiday makes a hell of a lot more sense to me," she said, shaking her head.

"But, we got along great," the Doctor said, ignoring her comment. "She never showed any sign that she was upset or repulsed by my appearance."

"Maybe she was too busy running from a bloody great wolf to think about your appearance," Jackie said.

"No, because we went to New Earth before that and she never showed any sign she was uncomfortable being around me."

"And what was on New Earth? Giant man-eating voles?"

"No, cat nuns."

Jackie gave him a long, hard stare before shaking her head.

"Like I said, the whole chucking it all in to take a holiday in Norwich is making sense to me now," she said.

"Norwich, eh?" the Doctor mused before taking a sip of tea.

"Yeah but she told me she wanted to go into the countryside for awhile so she could think and recover from being with you. After battling cat nuns and werewolves, I'm willing to bet she'll need a long recovery."

The Doctor ignored her while he sipped her tea.

"So…are you going after her?" Jackie said when the Doctor said nothing for a couple of minutes.

"I think so. I respect Rose and I respect her privacy but I think something is wrong. I think she left too abruptly and to be honest, the reason she gave for not being comfortable with me is far too flimsy. Like you said, even if she never want to see you again, she wouldn't swan off and not leave you a way to get in touch. I think I will go to Norwich and see if I can find her. At the very least, if we are overreacting and she is alright, I at least want her to hear me out before she leaves for good."

"Could you do me a favor then? Take her mobile and ring me when you find her, let me speak to her as well."

The Doctor nodded. He sipped his tea while Jackie went to get Rose's mobile.

Meanwhile, Rose stepped out of the train station and looked around. It was late afternoon and the air was warm with a slight breeze. She put her blowing hair behind her ear while she sat her rucksack down at her feet. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a red coin purse. She checked to see how much money she had before putting the coin purse back in her pocket. She picked up the rucksack, shrugged it on and headed off in search of somewhere to spend the night. While she walked, she saw a small book shop and headed towards it. She went inside and bought an ordinance survey map of Norwich. Once it was paid for, she walked outside and walked to a nearby coffee shop. She paid for a coffee and then headed back outside. She took the map and coffee and walked over to a nearby bench. Sitting down, she unfolded the map, found Norwich on the map and sipped her coffee while she studied it. She found a forest in Felthorpe that looked promising and decided after spending the night somewhere that she would head for it. She took a sip of coffee and suddenly had the feeling she was being watched. She lifted her eyes and saw a young man was standing across the street, his eyes on her while he leaned against a brick building. He was in his mid-twenties with a muscular build, long brown hair that was tied up in the back with a ponytail and green eyes. He had a rugged face with a slight growth of beard. He smiled at her and winked when she caught his eye. Then he crossed the street.

"Good day," he said with a Welsh accent. "Traveling?" he added, pointing to her rucksack.

"Yeah, I'm planning one of those walking tours of the English countryside," she said.

"Really? You've done this before then?"

"Um…not the English countryside but I have been on hikes before."

"By yourself?" he asked.

"Um…yeah," Rose said.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be wandering the countryside alone, might be a bit dangerous," he said, sitting down beside her.

"I can handle myself, trust me."

"Oh, aye? You're a tough one then?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose nodded and smiled when he chuckled at that.

"Funny, I thought all blondes were s'posed to be idiots, at least that's what all the jokes say."

"Well, I'm the exception to the rule," Rose said.

"Aye, you are," he said with a wink. "Name's Maxen but everyone calls me Max."

"Rose."

"And you have a beautiful name to go with your beautiful face, just perfect."

He grinned when Rose blushed at that.

"So, would you like some lunch? It's on me," he said to her.

Rose thought it over. She looked at Max and admired his handsome looks for a moment before deciding that it wouldn't hurt to have lunch with him. She nodded and Max beamed.

"Brilliant! Follow me; I know a little chippie not far from here."

Rose folded up the map and put it in her rucksack. Max took the rucksack and put it on his back while Rose took her coffee and followed him to the chippie.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

After buying both of them some chips and tea, Max sat down with Rose at a table near a plate glass window by the door. Rose thanked him and began to eat her chips while Max studied her.

"So…how long are you going to be on this walking tour?" Max asked her.

"Dunno," she said.

"You haven't made any plans past walking out of Norwich?" Max said.

"I…like to be spontaneous," Rose said.

"Ah, braving the wilds of the Norwich countryside. Facing danger at every turn. Might be a bit much for a novice like you."

"Actually, I'm not that much of a novice," Rose said.

"Oh? Where else have you been, little adventurer?" he teased.

"Um…just all over," Rose said.

"Ah, I see, doesn't like to brag, I get it," Max said while Rose chuckled. "What about your boyfriend…or girlfriend, what do they think?"

"Well, I had a…well, we were together but I left him," Rose said.

"Why, if I may ask?"

"Didn't work out," Rose said, becoming uncomfortable thinking about the Doctor.

Max noticed how uncomfortable she was and apologized.

"I didn't mean to make you uneasy; I just figured pretty girl like you would be in a relationship with someone. I'm sorry it didn't work out," he said.

"Well, I know it sounds cliché but we came from two different worlds and it just didn't work out," Rose said.

"Ah, a yobbo, eh?"

"No, far from it."

"Chav?" Max said.

"Nope."

"Um…tosser?"

Rose laughed and shook her head.

"Caveman!" Max said, pointing at her with a chip. "Caveman forehead, unibrow and endless back hair."

"Um…no," Rose said after laughing. "He was quite fit actually."

"Ah, just self absorbed then?"

"Well…he could be but that's not the reason I left. I…changed…and I realized that I couldn't be with him anymore. So I'm doing this to have some alone time to think things over."

"Oh. Well, I was about to ask if I could come with you. Just to make sure you're alright. Plus, I could show you some of the sights."

"Aren't you from Wales? You have a Welsh accent."

"I was born in Swansea and grew up there. I left and moved here when I was nineteen. I'm twenty five now so I think I've been here long enough to give you a tour of the countryside. How about it, Rose? I don't bite…much," he said with a wink.

"That's kind of you, but I'd rather be by myself," she said.

"Suit yourself. Let me give you my phone number though in case you need my help or change your mind."

He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket and took a pen from Rose. He gave her his mobile number and tore the piece of paper out of the notebook before giving it back to her. Rose thanked him and put it in her pocket. They spent the rest of the time eating and chatting. Max offered to take Rose to a bed and breakfast where she could rest and after lunch, walked with her so she could find it. It was about three streets over from the chippie in a white Victorian house with purple trim around the windows. The sign out front read Maggie's Bed and Breakfast. Max walked inside with her and waited until she was checked in for the night. He then kissed her hand and bid her farewell. Rose walked out onto the porch and waved goodbye while Max walked away.

"Good luck, Pretty!" he called to her as he walked away.

Rose went back inside and went into Maggie's sitting room for some tea and a chat. Maggie was in her late 50's, plump with a grandmotherly look to her. Her brown curls had a touch of grey in them and she wore black framed glasses. The wrinkles on her face gave her even more of a grandmotherly appearance and Rose instantly liked her. She sat in the sitting room for several hours chatting with her, sharing stories about their past and when it was time to fix dinner; Rose went in the kitchen and helped her make bangers and mash. There was only one other guest in the B and B. A young man named Derek who was on break from University. He came down when Maggie called out that it was suppertime and the three of them sat at Maggie's kitchen table, eating and talking. After that, Rose had a bath and decided to go to bed so she would be well rested for her journey. Her bed was a wooden sleigh bed with a red eiderdown and matching feather pillow. She lay there under the covers, staring up at the ceiling. When she was in the TARDIS, the constant rotor sound acted like white noise and helped her go to sleep. It became a comforting thing and now it felt strange not to have anything except silence. It took her a long time for her to drift off to sleep but she finally did it. She was dreaming about the Doctor when something woke her up. The moment her eyes opened, she gasped when she saw the full moon rising through the window on the other side of the room. Panicking, she got up and ignoring her things, ran down the stairs, desperate to be out of the house and away from Maggie and Derek before she became a werewolf. She flew out the door and made it down the steps and across the road before she fell to the ground and began to change. She gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to scream as her body contorted and changed into a wolf form.

_Doctor, help me,_ she thought through the pain of her transformation.

As she lay there in agony, she wished she had stayed with the Doctor just so he could kill her and put her out of her misery. But she knew he'd never do that even if he never found a cure.

Just when she thought she'd lose her mind from the pain of the transformation, it ceased and Rose got up on all fours. She looked around but the street was deserted. Remembering what she saw in the survey map, she turned towards the direction of the woods and began to run, rushing to get there before someone saw her and got their gun out.

But as she ran, she saw another wolf coming around a house about twenty feet in front of her. The wolf was bigger than she was and resembled the one that scratched her. She halted in her tracks and the bigger wolf came forward. When the bigger wolf reached her, he circled around her once, sniffing her scent before facing her again.

_I knew there was something different about you. There's an aura of the wolf about you. _

Rose stepped back in shock when she heard Max's voice inside her mind. The wolf came closer to her.

_You're a lycan like I am_, Max thought to her. _Come with me, I'll show you where I live with many other werewolves. You won't be alone anymore, Rose._

He turned around and looked behind at her. Then he loped off and Rose followed him. The two wolves hurried through the city, making their way towards the forest before anyone saw them.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Rose had never felt so free.

Running through the city in her wolf form, she realized what it was truly like to abandoned all inhibitions and revert to a primal self. The running exhilarated her and once the pain of the transformation ceased and she got over the horror of being a wolf that she had the first night she changed, she actually enjoyed herself.

She followed Max out of the city, making good time since they were both running on four legs. She forgot all her worries and cares and just concentrated on running while Max slowed up and ran with her. He looked at her while they ran.

_Now you understand why I came over and talked to you. I could sense you were one of us, Rose,_ he thought to her.

Rose slowed down and stopped. Max stopped when he noticed her stopping and circled back to see what was wrong. Rose tried to speak to him but all that came out was yipping.

_Think to me, Rose, use telepathy,_ Max thought.

Rose concentrated on sending her thoughts to him.

_Like this?_ She thought.

_Yup, you're a bright spark. Now what's wrong? _

_What happened to you? Were you bitten by a werewolf?_

_Nope. I was born like this. Most of the lycans in our pack are natural born wolves. How 'bout you?_

_I was…well, I wasn't properly bitten but this werewolf scratched me with his tooth. _

_Ah, I see, a newbie. Well, stick with me then. I'm the leader of our pack. The alpha male, if you will, and I'm the one that accepts newcomers into the pack. I like you, Rose, so I'm letting you join our pack. We live apart from normal people deep in the woods because we must live apart from them so we don't hurt them. Do you feel the same way, about not hurting others?_

_No, that's one of the reasons why I left my…boyfriend. Because this happened. _

_Does he know?_

_No, I didn't have the heart to tell him._

_So, you lied to him? It's a bit cruel but there are a couple of made wolves in our pack who had to do the same. But what's done is done and I can only say that you'll be welcomed among us and accepted. The pack protects each other, just like an actual wolf pack and if an outsider does find us, we take steps to protect ourselves and chase them away. Sound good? _

_Yes. _

_Then follow me, Rose, and I'll take you to your new home._

They took off running again and headed for a thick forest. Once they were inside and protected from view, both of them slowed down and Rose followed Max through the trees while he led her deeper into the forest. The leaves were thick and even though the moon was out and it was a clear night, the canopy blocked most of the light, making the forest dark and eerie. But now Rose had excellent vision and she could see the way almost as if it were daylight. She kept on following Max until he reached some boulders and rocks that were grouped around each other. She froze when she saw five other wolves laying on top of the rocks, staring at her, their eyes illuminated by the moon coming down through an opening in the canopy. Max looked at her and flicked his tail in encouragement before he went forward towards the group.

_This is our pack, Rose. Everyone this is Rose, our newest member. _

The wolves rose as one and came down from the rocks. They came up to Rose, sniffing her and circling around her, trying to determine if she was friend or foe. Rose stood still, unsure of what to do. The wolves stopped circling and gathered around her and Max. Three of the wolves were female and the other two were males.

_Rose, this is Britney, Veronica, Rachael, Ian and John,_ Max thought to her. _I brought Rose here because she's a newly made werewolf and on her own, she needs a family now so will you accept her?_

The other wolves yipped in response and came forward to rub up against Rose and groom her. Rose loved the feel of the tongues grooming her fur and the fact that she had been accepted. She had been worried about being without the Doctor, but now she knew she made the right decision.

_Come, Rose, let's hunt,_ Max thought to her.

Rose yipped in response and joined her new brothers and sisters as the pack left the rocks and went further into the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

After hunting down a deer and devouring it, the pack went back to the rocks and lay down in order to let the food digest. Rose lay down in front of the rocks and Max came and lay down beside her.

_So, what do you think?_ He thought to her.

_I think it's brilliant, I've never felt more alive in my whole life,_ she thought back.

_Yes, we feel the same way. I was born this way and I wouldn't trade it for anything. _

_But, don't you feel bad when you kill someone?_

Max raised his head off his paws and looked at her.

_Kill someone? You mean the deer? It's no worse than a hunter shooting the deer for meat…_

_No, I mean kill other people._

_Pretty, I've never killed anything except forest creatures. _

He sensed her confusion and nuzzled her cheek.

_You're thinking of the stereotypical werewolf that hunts humans and kills them. Now there are werewolves that are like that but it's because the person was evil to begin with. A person who has a good heart won't turn into a killer if they transform. You're not evil, are you?_

_No._

_Then you won't go insane and kill someone unless you do it willingly. I'm still me deep inside and so are you._

_I left my boyfriend because I was afraid I would hurt or kill him._

_Then that was a mistake, Pretty, you are still in control of yourself, even in wolf form. You don't lose all control and just savage everything in sight. That's not how it works. No worries, Ian and Victoria were the same way. It's all those rubbish werewolf movies, they distort the truth._

Rose laid her head on her paws while she thought. Max laid his head on his paws and watched from the corner of his eyes while she mulled that over. After a few minutes, Rose lifted her head.

_The werewolf that did this to me was evil, he killed several people and scratched me and…someone else, _she thought, catching herself before saying Queen Victoria.

_Then that was his personality as a human, Pretty. A murderer has the same urge to kill in wolf form as he does in his human form. We still have free will. Unfortunately, pop culture never mentions that so that's why we live apart from people, especially at the time of the full moon. Another thing movies get wrong is we can be killed by more than a silver bullet. We're not immortal so we have to be careful. _

_That's a relief though, knowing I'm not some sort of inhuman killing machine, _Rose thought, laying her head back on her paws.

_Nah, we wouldn't have let you into the pack if you were. We're very selective about who we let into our midst and we don't tolerate people who kill others out of bloodlust. You overreacted out of fear but then again, there's no way to predict how your family would react to all this. So even though you're still in control of yourself, you still need to be careful if you decide to tell others. There are people out there who would hunt us down, in fact, there are a few wankers in the city who keep trying to organize hunting parties and do just that._

_What's stopping them?_

_Lack of interest. Not everyone believes in werewolves and the city officials won't let him because he's hunting without a permit. So for the moment, we're safe but we never tell anyone about our lycan natures so I think you should do the same to be on the safe side._

Max watched her, his head on his paws while she thought about that.

_You're special, you know that?_ He finally thought to her.

_I am?_ Rose thought back.

_Yeah, you have a lot of power. Most lycans have a lot of wolf in them but I can sense a very powerful wolf aura within you. I'm shocked you're not natural born because you were born to be like this. You could even be an Alpha Female. _

Rose thought about that. She wondered if he was sensing the Bad Wolf, but she thought the Doctor took that out of her when he sacrificed his life for hers. Perhaps, some of it remained inside her and became a part of her. She also wondered if the Doctor had first sensed this power when he first met her and that's why he allowed her to come with him after saving his life. Thinking of him made her ache inside and she wondered if she should at least find a phone and tell him the truth. She didn't know if she wanted to give up the freedom she'd just experienced but after all the Doctor did for her, he deserved the truth. She was jolted out of her reverie when Max scooted closer to her.

_Better get some sleep, Rose, he thought to her. I'd advise sneaking back to your room before dawn and changing there so you won't be walking back through town in the altogether. _

_You don't want me to stay here?_ Rose thought.

_I do. But most of us prefer clothes when we're not in lycan form. But if you want to prance around starkers, that's on you._

_Uh, no, I think I prefer clothes as well. _

Max snuffled out laughter and winked at her. Rose put her head on her paws and listened while Max slipped into a deep peaceful sleep. The warmth of his body and the sound of his breathing soothed her and before she knew it, she had also drifted off to sleep.

_Rose?_

Rose opened her eyes when she felt Max nuzzling her cheek and thinking to her.

_Rose, it'll be dawn in an hour, you better go back,_ he thought to her.

_Oh yeah, right,_ Rose thought sleepily as she yawned and got to her feet.

She shook her head rapidly trying to banish the last traces of sleepiness. Once she was awake and alert, she followed behind Max as the two of them ran back into town. They made it back to the B and B in about forty five minutes without anyone seeing them. Max and Rose crept up onto the porch and Max stood up on his hind legs. He quietly opened the door and peeked inside. He signaled to Rose when he didn't see anyone and they walked inside on their hind legs. Just inside the door, Max took hold of Rose's front legs and nuzzled her cheek.

_I'll meet you for lunch if you want at the chippie, take you back with me afters?_ He thought to her.

_Yes, I'd like that,_ she thought.

Max smiled and began licking her muzzle. Rose smiled, loving the sensation of his tongue on her fur. He finished up with a fond lick on her nose and then dropped to all fours. He looked back over his shoulder, flicked his tail and bounded out the door. Rose walked to the door and gently closed it. She looked around to make sure no one was awake and then hurried up to her room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Rose jerked her head up when she heard Maggie calling upstairs that breakfast was ready. She lifted her hand and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was human. She had crawled into bed on top of the covers and now she was lying there naked. She was glad Max made her come back before the sun came up because the last thing she wanted was to parade through Norwich butt naked. She rose and walked over to her rucksack. She selected a pink t-shirt, blue jeans, white underpants and bra and white socks to go with her white plimsols. But as she got dressed, she suddenly hated the feel of the clothes on her body after the freedom of being a wolf. Suddenly clothes felt restrictive on her and she longed to be back out in the woods, running free. She hoped there was another full moon tonight as she finished getting ready in the bathroom and headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, the Doctor had finally arrived in Norwich. It was afternoon when he materialized beside the cathedral. He had decided to give Rose a day because he was counting on her going around the city. One of the things he wanted to do was show anyone he saw a photo of her and asked if they'd seen her. He had a photo of him and her but it was from his previous life, there hadn't been any time yet to get a photo taken in his current body. He took the photo out of his pocket and looked at it. He was behind Rose with his arms around her while she smiled that smile he so dearly loved. It had been taken from their chests up so there was a nice close up of Rose's face, perfect for identification and also, he had to admit, for staring at her gorgeous eyes. The photo was a bit worn because he had taken it out so many times when he was alone and stared at it. He ran his finger down her face, sighing to himself.

"I'll get you back, Rose, even if I have to beg on my knees for you to travel with me again," he murmured as he stared at her face.

He put the photo in his jacket pocket and headed outside.

"Take care, love," Maggie said, hugging Rose. "Have fun on your little walk across the countryside. If you need a place to stay when you get back, come and see me."

"Thank you so much," Rose said. "I loved my stay here and I'll definitely recommend your place to anyone coming to Norwich."

They hugged one more time before Rose shrugged on her rucksack. Maggie followed her out onto the porch and waved goodbye as Rose went down the steps and headed back towards the chippie.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was a couple of streets away, slowly making his way down the pavement. He stopped anyone who was out and showed them the photo, asking if they'd seen Rose but so far no one had. After the twentieth person said no, he stopped a moment and thought while he looked around. He noticed a pub on the corner and raised his eyebrow.

"Hmmm, perhaps…" he muttered as he walked towards it.

He knew that most humans loved to meet in pubs for a pint and some gossip. He wondered if Rose had stopped in for a pint and some of the regulars or the landlord had seen her. He went inside and noticed that there were several middle ages and elderly men sitting around one table, drinking and chatting. A middle aged black man was standing behind the bar, watching a football match on the television mounted on the wall. He turned and smiled when the Doctor walked up to him.

"Afternoon, haven't seen you here before," he said.

"Yeah, just got into town," the Doctor said.

"Well, what'll be, mate?"

"I'm looking for a friend. She got into town yesterday, name is Rose, has she stopped in, by any chance?"

The landlord looked at the photo and shook his head.

"No, mate, she hasn't and I'd remember someone as fit as that," he said. "You might try one of hotels or bed and breakfasts? She might have stayed the night somewhere."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

The landlord nodded and the Doctor was about to go to the front door when a man suddenly rushed inside.

"Lads," he said, walking over to the men, "those werewolves are at it again. Terry found another deer carcass in the woods near his property. Animals ripped it apart!"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, George," the landlord said to the man, "it is not a werewolf, there's no such thing!"

"Mark my words, Robert, those werewolves will kill us all and it'll be because people like you won't let us hunt them down!" George said before he sat down with his friends.

"Nutjob," Robert muttered before he went back to watching the television.

The Doctor glanced at him and stared at the men for a moment before walking over to him.

"Excuse me, you have a werewolf problem?" the Doctor asked them.

The men gave him wary looks.

"And who might you be?" George said.

"I'm the Doctor and I believe you."

The men still gave him wary looks while the Doctor grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it up to them. He ignored Robert who had heard him and was now questioning his sanity and focused on George.

"So, how long have these werewolves been terrorizing Norwich?" the Doctor asked him.

George glanced at his friends and leaned in.

"For awhile now. So far, it's just been forest creatures but it might attack humans next."

"And how do you know it's werewolves?" the Doctor said.

"David's seen them, haven't ya, David?" he said, pointing to a man in his early '80's.

"Sure have, I walk in and around the woods in Felthorpe and there's been a couple of times during moonlit nights that I see giant wolves moving through the forest. They're too big to be a proper wolf so they're werewolves."

"Excuse me, mate," Robert called to the Doctor, "I have to tell ya that David loves his liquor and he's been known to get pissed and take many of these moonlit walks he's talking about."

"Oh, belt up, Robert. I wasn't drunk when I saw these wolves," David said to him. "You won't think it's so funny when one of them savages you to death."

"And you lot want to find them?" the Doctor said, lowering his voice.

"Yeah, we want to kill them before they kill us," George said, also lowering his voice. "We don't have a hunting license though and no one will give us one since they know what we want to do with it. They think we're barking mad but we're not."

"Well, what if we go tonight and I accompany you. I'd like to see these wolves for myself," the Doctor said softly.

"Seriously?" George said while his friends looked at one another. "You wanna shoot the wolves with us?"

"Not shoot, just see if we can find them and perhaps talk to them," the Doctor said.

George stared at him as if his butt and his head just switched places.

"Talk to them? Werewolves? Are you off your trolley? They're beasts, they don't want to sit for a nice little chat, they want to kill you."

"Nevertheless, I want to see these werewolves for myself. Surely no one will object to us going in without weapons and trying to find them, yeah?"

"I s'pose. You have a death wish or something?" George said.

"No, I don't intend to get that close."

"What are you, one of those ghost hunter people that likes supernatural stuff?" David said.

"Yup, that's me, paranormal investigator. Love supernatural creatures and I'm willing to risk death to confirm the existence of werewolves. So, you lot wanna go with me?"

The men glanced at one another and smiled as they nodded. Robert watched them from the bar and snorted as he shook his head.

"Barking mad, the lot of ya," he muttered before he turned around and watched the television.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

After meeting Rose at the chippie and having some lunch, they took a bus that went near the woods and got off at a stop near the forest. They walked the rest of the way and walked into the woods. The day was sunny and warm and the forest didn't look creepy in daylight. When they reached the rocks, they went behind them and Rose saw the others sitting on blankets and sleeping bags. She stopped and she and the others took a good look at each other. Britney and Veronica were Caucasian. Veronica had long black hair and Britney was a bleach blonde. Rachael looked Middle Eastern with light brown skin and long black hair. Ian was Caucasian with brown hair cut in a crew cut and John was Indian with short tousled black hair and dark brown skin. Max chuckled when everyone examined each other for a moment.

"Yup, now we all know what we look like, eh?" he said to Rose. "Sit down and chat with us awhile."

Victoria made a place on her blanket and Rose and Max sat down. Max lay on his side and Rose sat beside them while everyone chatted.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was still looking for Rose. He agreed to meet George and his friends outside the pub just after dark but in the meantime, he was determined to find Rose. He kept showing his photo to everyone he saw but everyone shook their heads and the Doctor moved on. Finally, he came to a book shop and walked in. The bells above the door tinkled and the male working behind the counter looked up and smiled at him.

"Good day, can I help you find something?"

"Not something, someone, I'm looking for this woman, have you seen her?"

The man glanced at the photo and the Doctor was thrilled when he nodded.

"Yeah, came in yesterday," he said, pointing to Rose in the photo. "Shorter hair but that's her."

"What did she do? Did you speak with her?" the Doctor said.

"Well, yeah, a bit. She was purchasing one of those ordinance survey maps for the area and I asked her about it since I'm a bit of a hiker and she told me she was going to go into the countryside and explore. I wished her luck and she left."

"Any idea where she might have gone after that?"

"Not a clue. She turned right when she went out the door but that's all I know. Sorry."

The Doctor thanked him and the man wished him luck in finding her as he left the shop. He stopped a woman and asked where the nearest hotel or bed and breakfast was. The woman gave him direction to Maggie's bed and breakfast and he thanked her before heading towards it. Twenty minutes later he found Maggie's house and walked up to the front door. Maggie smiled at him when he answered the door.

"Good afternoon, needing a room for the night?" she said to him.

"Actually, I'm looking for a friend of mine," he said, showing her the photo. "Have you seen…"

"Rose!"

The Doctor smiled when she cried out Rose's name upon seeing the photo.

"She's here?" the Doctor asked her.

"No, just left this morning. Spent the night though," Maggie said.

"Do you have any idea where she was heading?" the Doctor said.

"Well, she was heading to the forest near Felthorpe. Wanted to do some hiking."

The Doctor's hearts begin to sink.

"Felthorpe? You're sure?" he said.

"Yes. Woods near Felthorpe. Bless her heart; I hope she'll be alright by herself. Why are you looking for her, is she in trouble?"

"Not from me," the Doctor said. "But I need to see and speak with her. It's urgent."

"Well, she left several hours ago. She might be there by now."

"Thank you, good day."

"Good luck," Maggie said while the Doctor jumped off the porch and hurried away.

After a couple of hours, Rose and Max volunteered to go into town and get some supper for everyone. While the walked through the forest, Rose glanced at him.

"How'd ya have money?" she asked.

"I have a job, believe it or not. I work at Marks and Sparks in town during the day and I have a bank card. Just take myself to the cashpoint and I'm good to go."

"And you just live behind those rocks?" Rose asked.

"No, we have a house deeper in the woods. An old abandoned house that's been there for ages, we use that but when it's a full moon, we prefer to sleep outdoors and today's such a nice sunny day that we wanted to sit out by our usual hang out spot. We'll show you the house later on tonight when we change."

Rose nodded. Max glanced at her and smiled when she looked up at him.

"I'm going to ask the pack if they'll accept you as an alpha female," he said. "I know you're the newbie but there's just something about you. An inner strength that says you need to be heading the pack with me. How about it?"

"I'm flattered but what would my duties be?"

"Just help look after the pack and be one of the leaders. Do what we're doing now and get food for everyone and protect everyone from danger. Would you like to be the alpha female?"

"Will anyone object?"

"I don't think so. If they do, we'll fight to the death, wolf style," he said with a wink.

He smiled when Rose laughed at that.

"God, I love your laugh," he said.

He stopped her and Rose gazed into his eyes for a moment. Then Max lowered his face to hers and kissed her. Rose hesitated for a moment and then kissed him back. Max kissed her for several seconds and then leaned his head back up.

"You'll always have a home with us," he said, fingering her hair. "Even if no one else accepts you, we will. We all look after each other in every way."

Rose nodded. Max gave her a peck on the cheek and put his arm around her when they resumed walking.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was walking beside David and speaking with him. He was heading for Felthorpe when David saw him and called him over. The Doctor tried to tell him he was busy but the man was out for his afternoon walk and wanted the Doctor to join him.

"I've been thinking about what you said before, about being a paranormal investigator," he said to the Doctor while they walked. "Have you ever seen any werewolves?"

The Doctor debated whether or not to tell him the truth and then decided it couldn't hurt if he fudged the facts a bit. The Doctor nodded and David's interest was peaked.

"Really, where?" he said.

"Scotland, I was up there on holiday with a friend and we saw him on the moors. We observed him from a distance but only for several seconds, after that he ran off and we lost sight of him."

"So, you've never shot one then?" David said.

"I don't believe in shooting things if I can help it," the Doctor said. "Shooting accomplishes nothing."

"So, you want to reason with the werewolves? They're beasts."

"They're beasts that are also human and shooting humans is murder," the Doctor said. "I prefer to try to get through to an adversary and speak to them and then use physical force. For all we know, these werewolves might be sentient enough to talk to us. Maybe you lot are misunderstanding them and they're just as fearful of you as you are of them. Besides, why would you want to kill them? They're werewolves and they have a right to live not to mention they're a legendary species. It's difficult to learn about something when you shoot it and chuck it towards a taxidermist to be stuffed and mounted. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps, but I still want to bring a gun, just for protection," he said when the Doctor let out an angry sigh. "Mate, what if you're wrong and these…humans tear us limb from limb. Talking won't do ya much good when you're head's jerked off your body. Am I right?"

"I s'pose but don't shoot unless it's a last resort. I won't go in there with a bunch of trigger happy men who don't care about anything except having a werewolf hide decorating their floor. Not to mention I might get shot in the process. So will you consider that and keep the guns out of sight until there's no other recourse?"

David nodded and the Doctor thanked him. He then politely excused himself and told David he would see him later before he resumed his hurried pace towards Felthorpe.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Doctor finally reached the outskirts of the forest and entered it. He had no clue where to begin, the forest was large and thick but he was going to do everything he could to save Rose from the werewolves, if there really were werewolves here. The Doctor shook his head wondering what was it with him and werewolves lately. He'd just got done defeating one werewolf and now here he was trying to find Rose before several of them got to her. He let out an angry sigh wishing he had a mobile and Rose still had hers so he could just ring her. He never needed a mobile before but now he was seriously considering investing in one so he could keep track of his companions when he needed to.

He walked for about an hour, going deeper and deeper into the forest but still no sign of Rose anywhere. He let out a frustrated growl, thinking it was exactly that sort of thing that you'd use the needle in haystack cliché. He was afraid to turn another direction since he figured if he did that, with his luck Rose would be right in front of him. He debated whether to take another course before he decided to just keep going straight ahead and trust that Rose went the same direction.

Another thirty minutes went by and he saw several large rocks through a cluster of trees. He stepped through them and headed for the rocks. He slowly went around the rocks and froze when he saw several blankets and sleeping bags on the other side. He jerked his head around, looking for signs of life.

"Rose?" he called out. "Are you here?"

"No, but I am."

The Doctor spun around and saw a Middle Eastern woman holding a large rock. Before he could react, she slammed the rock into his forehead as hard as she could. The Doctor grunted and lost consciousness. Rachel held the rock up while she checked him. She looked over her shoulder when everyone else came out from behind the trees.

"He said Rose, I think he's looking for her," Rachel said to Ian as he came up beside her.

We'll tie him up and blindfold him and let Rose deal with him when he comes back. She'll tell us if he's friend or foe," Ian said. "John, run to the house and get some rope and something to blindfold him with."

"And gag him," Rachel added. "If he has friends, we don't want him alerting his friends that he's here."

John nodded and took off through the woods towards the house. The others stood around him, guarding him until John returned.

Rose laughed as she and Max shopped for food in Marks and Spencers.

"So, where do you work in here?" she said to him.

"Cash register. Boring job but I can work flexible hours," he said to her. "What do you say, steak for supper? We can eat it raw," he said, holding up a wrapped package of meat.

"Um, no, I think I want something different tonight," Rose said while he put it back.

"Different as in…what? Caviar? Lasanga? Sushi?"

"Pizza?"

"Don't have an oven. The house has no electricity. We basically build a fire in the fireplace and use the great outdoors for the loo.

"Well, how about sandwiches and crisps then?" Rose said.

"Sounds good to me, Alpha Female," he said.

"Rose?"

Rose turned and saw Maggie coming towards her. Rose smiled and embraced her.

"Good to see ya again," she said to Maggie.

"And you. Thought you were going into the woods," she said.

"I am but I met a friend and we're getting some groceries," she said.

"Oh. Well, someone was looking for you a couple of hours ago, came to the house and showed me a photo of you."

Rose froze, her heart racing.

"What…did he look like?" she said, already knowing the answer.

"Tall, skinny chap, wild sort of hair, brown eyes. I told him you went off to the forest and he thanked me and headed that way."

"Doctor," Rose whispered.

"Doctor? The one you left behind?" Max said.

"Yeah. I s'pose he wants to speak to me," Rose said.

"Sounds like he still wants a relationship with you if he's willing to go into the woods to find you," Maggie said.

"Thank you, I'll find him. I'm sure he'll find me first anyway," Rose said.

They talked for a few more minutes before Maggie waved goodbye and went on with her shopping. When she was out of earshot, Rose turned to Max.

"The others, they won't hurt him if he comes across him, will they?" she said.

"I don't know, Rose. We're leery of strangers. If he's out in the middle of the forest yelling for you, the others will probably ambush him and try to find out what's going on and how he knows you."

"Let's get something to eat then and hurry up," Rose said. "I don't want the Doctor getting hurt because he's looking for me and stumbles onto our camp."

Max nodded and they scrambled to find sandwich stuff, crisps and pop so they could get back to the forest.

The Doctor groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He had an enormous headache and it took him a moment to work through the pain and realize he was blindfolded. He tasted cloth on his tongue and knew he'd been gagged. He also knew he had been tied to a large tree. He mumbled loudly through the gag, trying to get someone's attention. Then suddenly the blindfold was pulled off and the Doctor shut his eyes, wincing when the light of the setting sun hit his eyes and intensified the pain of his headache. For a second, he saw the Middle Eastern girl with other men and woman standing behind her.

"I want to talk to you," Rachel said to him as he kept his eyes shut. "I'm going to loosen the gag but if you yell, it goes back on along with the blindfold, got that?"

The Doctor nodded his head and felt hands going behind his head. He leaned his head up so they could untied the gag. Rachel loosened it and pulled it down around his neck.

"Thank you," the Doctor said, keeping his eyes closed. "Perhaps you should have tried this before slamming a rock into my forehead."

"We don't trust strangers," John said. "We defend ourselves whenever possible."

"Is Rose with you?" the Doctor said, opening his eyes a crack.

No one said anything.

"Look, I mean her no harm. Do you know Rose, yes or no? I'm looking for her."

"Why?" Ian said.

"Because she's my dearest friend and I'm concerned about her and so is her mother. I came here to find out what was going on because she took off for the countryside in a rush."

There was silence and the Doctor cracked his eyes a bit and saw the men and women were sharing glances.

"Is your name the Doctor?" Rachel said.

"Yes. And you are…"

"She spoke to us about you," Rachel said, ignoring his fishing for her name. "You were her boyfriend?"

That gave the Doctor pause. He never called himself Rose's boyfriend and he wondered if Rose really did think of him in that way or if she was just calling him that as a way of explaining their relationship. He decided to answer in the affirmative to keep the conversation going.

"Yes, I am," he said. "Is she here?"

"No," Rachel said.

"Where is she then?"

"Why do you want to talk to her?" Ian said.

"Because we had a misunderstanding," the Doctor said, opening his eyes a bit more, "she left abruptly without giving me a chance to find out what was really wrong and I want the truth."

Again, he noted the look that passed among the people in front of him.

"What's going on, has she told you the real reason why she left me?" he said.

There was silence and the Doctor sighed.

"Look, I…"

He got a sudden thought.

"Wait, you're not the werewolves, are you?"

He realized that was the wrong thing to say because instantly the group panicked. The Doctor tried to speak and calm them down but Rachel pulled the gag back up and Ian tied it tight behind him. He watched while John grabbed the blindfold and he glared at him while he tied it back over his eyes.

_Me and my big gob_, he thought as everyone fell silent.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The Doctor sighed through his nose. He was tired of standing with his back against a tree and bark digging into his back. It had been at least an hour, probably more and he was getting cranky. He mumbled again, trying to get someone to loosen the gag but he didn't hear anyone in front of him and he wondered if they all went away and left him there, tied up and alone. He mumbled louder, trying to get someone's attention. Then, he felt someone's hand on his cheek and his nose picked up a very familiar scent. He began to yell Rose as best he could while he tried to break free of the ropes.

"Let him go, he won't hurt you," he heard Rose say.

The Doctor relaxed and let his captors untie him. The moment his blindfold was removed, he saw Rose standing in front of him with an anguished look on his face. Behind her was another male that wasn't with the group before. He was giving him a wary look. Once the Doctor's hands were freed, he reached up and untied the gag and pulled it away from his mouth.

"Rose, I have been looking for you all day," he said, dropping the gag to the ground.

"Doctor, why did you come?" Rose said.

"Because I want to know what's really going on," the Doctor said. "You left abruptly and I don't accept that you just suddenly became repulsed by my appearance. Now what's the real reason you left?"

"I can't…tell you," Rose said. "You should have let me go."

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to," the Doctor said. "And by the way, are there werewolves around you? Because there's a bunc h of men coming tonight to hunt them down if they are."

Rose calmed everyone down when they began to panic.

"The Doctor's not one of them, he can help us," she said to them.

"Us? You've joined a group of werewolves...or…."

He suddenly had a thought and he paled.

"Rose, the werewolf in Scotland didn't bite you, did it?" he said, his hearts racing with fear.

Rose stepped back when he tried to take her hand. Max came up beside Rose and the Doctor eyed him before turning his attention back to Rose.

"Is that why you left suddenly? Because you found out you're a werewolf now?" the Doctor said to Rose. "Rose, answer me. Are you?"

Rose looked at her friends who were watching her, taking a cue from her about what they should do about the Doctor. Numbly, Rose finally nodded and mumbled that she was a werewolf.

"Then why didn't you tell me this?" the Doctor said.

"Because I was afraid. I was afraid I might hurt you or kill you and I thought it would be better if I left and went somewhere far away from everyone so I wouldn't be a threat."

"But didn't it ever occur to you that I might be able to help?" the Doctor said angrily. "Didn't you stop and think that I might be able to find a cure for you instead of swanning off and making me feel like I did something wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Rose said, fighting back tears. "I didn't mean to make you think it was your fault but I didn't know that if you're a good person, you remain a good person as a werewolf. I thought werewolves were mindless beasts but Max let me know how wrong I was. I don't have a mobile but I was going to ring you eventually and tell you the truth. I'm sorry; I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that I upset you. I never meant for you to be hurt by this. I thought since you just regenerated that you woul d have an easier time of it since this body hasn't known me for very long."

"Yes, it's true; I haven't known you for very long in this particular body. But each body is not disconnected from each other. I remain the same person at the core of my being and at the core of my being; we've known each other over a year. I don't choose my traveling companions lightly, Rose, and I usually bond with the ones I travel with and I do care what happens to them. You're not the first one who's been threatened with being changed into an animal. I had a companion, Peri, who nearly became a giant bird and watching that happen to her hurt me just as deeply as it would if I watched you change into a wolf. When you ran out like that with just a flimsy excuse of well, you changed so I can't stand you anymore, I was upset. Especially since you didn't give me a chance to explain myself and regeneration. Except now I know it wasn't even about that which upsets me even more. No offense to these people here but you have a mother who still loves you and she's just as upset as I am, especially since you snuck out of her house and left your mobile behind."

"You spoke to her?" Rose said.

"Yes, she rang me because she was panicking and wanted me to find you. She was frightened for you."

"I was frightened for her!" Rose said, near tears. "I was scared I would do something to her if I changed. I wasn't trying to be cruel, both to you and to her, I left because I love you both and I didn't want anything to happen to you. I'm sorry, I really am."

The Doctor felt his anger melt away when a tear trickled down her cheek and he took her hand.

"Look, all that matters is you're alive and safe," he said. "We can sort out this whole mess if you'll allow me to try to find a cure for you and that goes for your friends as well," he said, looking at them.

"I don't want to change who I am, I was born this way and proud of being a lycan," Max said.

The Doctor nodded when the others voiced their agreement with Max and he looked at Rose.

"What about you, do you want to remain a werewolf?" he asked her. "I'm not forcing you to come back with me, Rose. Just giving you options that you didn't realize you had. If you want me to bugger off and leave you here, I will. But you owed it to me and to your mum to tell use the truth before going off with a group of werewolves. Do you want to stay?"

Rose was torn. She didn't know if she wanted to be with the Doctor or Max and her new friends. Both worlds had their pros and cons and both worlds were equally attractive to her.

"I…I don't know, Doctor. I care for you but I also care for them and I'm not sure what to do."

"Well, I'll allow you to decide. But for the moment, there are men coming to hunt all of you. They were supposed to meet me and I was going to go with them so I could find Rose and stop them from killing you. But I'm pretty sure they'll keep coming even if I don't show up to meet them. I can take all of you to my TARDIS and you can be kept safe there or I can take you somewhere safe where you can roam free without the threat of anyone harming you. Do you want me to help you?"

"He can help," Rose said to Max. "He means what he says. He can find another place where everyone would be safe."

"Take us somewhere else in England?" Max said to the Doctor.

"No, take you somewhere else in the universe."

He sighed when he saw the shocked looks on Max and his friend's faces.

"So, Tyler, I wasn't the only one you were less that truthful to, eh?" he said to Rose.

"I didn't know how to tell them. I didn't think I'd see you again, anyway."

The Doctor let out a mirthless laugh.

"Oh, Rose, you don't know me as well as you think. Don't you know if I thought you were in trouble, I would move Heaven and Earth to find you?" he said.

Rose was touched by that and a lump formed in her throat. The Doctor smiled warmly when she took his hand and squeezed it. She looked at Max.

"It's true. I haven't been entirely truthful to you either," she said to her friends. "The Doctor is more than a man, he's an alien and he has a ship that can travel through time and space. He can take everyone to safety on a world where there would be no threats from crazy hunters."

"That's right. Time is short, however, and the sun is setting and I'm pretty sure there'll be another full moon tonight. So we better make haste to the TARDIS and get inside away from the moon before you all change and become target for those crazy hunters. I'll explain further on the way about who I am but we have to leave now."

Max nodded. He smiled when Rose tried to apologize to her friends for not telling them the whole truth and he squeezed her shoulder before he and everyone else followed the Doctor back towards the city.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

While they walked back, the Doctor noticed Rose carrying some shopping bags from Marks and Spencers. He offered to carry them and when she handed them over, he peeked inside while he walked, seeing what she had.

"Ah, turkey for sandwiches and crisps and pop," the Doctor said. "So this is the eating habits of werewolves. Very interesting. I didn't think werewolves enjoyed crisps and pop, learn something new every day."

Rachel gave him an odd look and Rose chuckled.

"He's always like that," she said to Rachel.

They walked for a few more minutes and then Max stopped everyone, holding up his hand to signal them to halt. He pointed to the sun which was almost gone.

"How far is this TARDIS thing, mate?" he asked the Doctor.

"Far enough that I'm willing to bet you'll change before we get there," the Doctor said.

"Perhaps we better wait till we change then. I don't want to walk in Norwich and change right in front of everyone," Max said. "We can stop here and eat while we keep our eyes out for these hunters."

They sat down and the Doctor handed the sacks to Rose so they could spread them out and distribute food. She sat them down, shrugged off her rucksack and took out a large torch. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his own and Max pulled a smaller one out of his pocket. Ian took Rose's torch and the three men shone the light on the rock Rose was using while she and the other women made the sandwiches and put them on paper plates they brought along with handfuls of crisps. They poured the pop into plastic cups and distributed them around.

"Thank you, Pretty," Max said when Rose gave him his food.

"Pretty?" the Doctor said after swallowing a swig of pop.

"My nickname for her. When I first saw her, I thought she had a pretty face."

The Doctor said nothing but jealousy pricked at his mind. He kept silent though, wanting to keep the peace and concentrated on his food. When the women finished, Rose sat near the Doctor and the jealousy flared up again when Max moved and sat down beside her. He knew that he never really professed his love for her but from the way he acted around her; he thought it would be obvious that they were more than just friends. But he surmised that perhaps Rose thought they would never see each other again and she was trying to move on with her life. Still, now that he was here, he didn't like seeing Max sitting right next to her, putting his hand on her and calling her Pretty. He was jolted out of his thoughts when one of the women had a question about him and he spoke softly, answering it and giving them all a basic explanation of himself and what he did.

His explanation carried on until the moon began to rise in the sky. When it was spotted, everyone stopped talking and put the food back in the sacks. The Doctor, sensing that seven werewolves changing at the same time would not be the sort of thing to sit next to so he walked over to a rock about thirty feet away and sat back down. He folded his hands in his lap and waited, figuring the werewolves could take care of themselves but to his surprise and hidden delight, Rose came to him.

"Why are you over here?" she asked.

"Just want to be out of the melee when you lot start changing. All that fur and teeth and claws, had enough of that in Scotland."

"Do you hate that I've become one?" Rose said.

"No, I hate that you weren't truthful with me when you became one. I have seen many things in my lives; I can handle the truth if you told me you were a werewolf. And I'm probably one of the only people who could help you become normal again."

"Yeah but that's just it, I don't know if I wanna be normal again," Rose said, sitting down beside him. "I like it when I change, Doctor. When I'm a wolf and I'm running through the woods, I feel so free, I've never felt so free and I really don't want to give that up."

"These wolves that are natural born, are they descended from Victoria?"

"Dunno, I never asked," Rose said.

"Rose, I respect your right to be what you want to be but there are ways of feeling free without becoming a bloody great canine," he said. "I get that running through the woods is exhilarating but you're also being hunted down by panicky humans along with your friends there, do you want that part of a werewolf's life?"

"I just loved being free," Rose said, looking at her hands.

"And you weren't free with me?"

Rose was a bit afraid to say that she had never felt completely free since most of the time she had to do what the Doctor wanted and obey his rules. The Doctor sensing what she was reluctant to say smiled.

"You're under me when you travel with me, that's it, isn't it? Have to obey me most of the time so it's like living with your mum all over again?"

"Yes and no, I mean, you're not like mum but I do have to do what you say and when I was running through the woods last night, I wasn't accountable to anyone except me. I loved it."

"Well, It's your decision. I won't make you do something you don't want to do, despite what you just said about not feeling completely free with me. If you want to be a werewolf, you can. If you want to be with them, you can go. The only reason I came to find you is because Jackie wanted me to and I felt it a bit unfair to just go running off without letting her know where you were. I just want to say that I would love for you to come with me, werewolf or not, but I'm not your mum and I won't force you to be somewhere you don't want to be. I'm just glad that I got to see you again, in case you do go with that lot. And I'll find a place for all of them…and you, if you go with them. Just let me know your decision, yeah?"

Rose nodded. She was about to say something back when suddenly she felt the change begin and she let out a cry of anguish as she dropped to the ground on her knees. The others began their changes and Rose tried to crawl towards them but she felt the Doctor kneel beside her.

"I'm here, Rose, don't be afraid," he said.

Rose's heart warmed and she fought through the pain while the Doctor stayed beside her, his hand on her back while he tried to offer some soothing words. She glanced at him and saw her agony reflected on the Doctor's face as her body changed and fur started to grow out.

"Doctor," she moaned.

"I'm here, always here by your side, I'm not leaving."

Rose wanted to crawl into his arms but she was growing and she didn't want to knock him over. She tried to move away so she wouldn't hurt him but he stayed with her, his hand on her back while he continued to soothe her and talk her through her agony.

Then the change ended and Rose gasped as the agonizing pain ebbed to a dull ache. She looked up at the Doctor who came around the front and knelt down in front of his face with a look of wonder on his face.

"Oh, you are beautiful," he said, stroking her muzzle. "You are gorgeous."

Rose managed a smile at that and nuzzled his hand while he admired her. She stood still, letting him examine her.

"Gorgeous, simply gorgeous," the Doctor said as he ran his hand along her back.

Rose felt her cheeks grow hot and knew she was blushing at that. She snuffled out laughter when he cupped his hand around her tail and ran it down to the tip. She looked at him when he tugged on the end and saw the impish grin and the wink and turned towards him.

"Nice to be able to examine one up close without worrying about getting mauled," the Doctor said, kneeling back down.

Rose stood still while he gently lifted the side of her mouth and examined her teeth. Rose carefully opened her mouth, making sure he didn't get bit or scratched while he pulled out his torch and looked at her canines and mouth. While he was doing that, Max walked over to her. He stopped a few feet from her and gave the Doctor an odd look.

Do_es he think you're a freakish curiosity? _He thought to Rose.

_Nah, he has a childlike curiosity and he's satisfying it,_ Rose thought back.

_I can heeeeear yooooou._

They both jerked their heads when they heard the Doctor's voice in their minds.

_I can also communicate telepathically,_ the Doctor thought to them. _And no, I don't think she's a freak. I'm only admiring the change. She's gorgeous. This is why I was trying to stop those loonies from shooting you. Whoa, look at the size of those paws. _

Rose lifted her right paw and the Doctor held it in his hand while he looked at her claws. While he was doing that, the others joined Rose and Max. The Doctor finished examining Rose and looked at Max. Max tilted his head quizzically when he looked at him and then looked at Rose before looking at the others.

"Males are bigger than the females," he mused. "Which fits with a lot of animals in the animal kingdom.

He looked in Rose's eyes and gazed deeply. Rose stepped back, a bit uncomfortable at his scrutiny but the Doctor laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry. But…I look at your eyes and I still see you reflected in them. These aren't the eyes of a crazed beast so that's another reason why I could have handled the truth. You're still here, Rose. You just have to look deeply to see it.

Rose glanced at Max who smiled and nodded at that. The Doctor ran his hand over the top of her head before getting up. Rose was puzzled when he kept running his hand through her hair.

What are you doing? She thought to him.

"Your fur is too short. How will I be able to gather up enough to tie up some with a pretty pink dog bow?"

Rose and her friends were shocked by that. They looked at the Doctor who had an impish grin on his face.

"I want a dog bow in your fur," he murmured. "And I need a pink collar with metal studs and a lead so I can take you walkies and…"

_She's not a dog ,okay, _Max thought angrily.

"I'm sorry; I believe I was making a joke. I know what she is," the Doctor said to him. "There's no need to get defensive, mate, Rose knows I was joking. Can I take the mickey and bring a little levity to the situation? I'm all for werewolf rights but you need to have a sense of humor as well."

It's alright, Max, he meant no harm. I know he was joking, Rose thought to him.

The Doctor glanced at Max and sighed inwardly when he saw the wary look on his face. He hated when people took things a bit too seriously and he wondered what it would take to gain his trust, especially since he was helping them. He figured that Max wasn't used to having anyone upstage him or question his authority. As a way of avoiding a fight, he suggested that they move on. He went over, grabbed the sacks and Rose's rucksack. He put the rucksack on his back and the werewolves followed him as he led them back to the TARDIS.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

While the Doctor walked through the woods, his hand dipped occasionally into the sack containing the turkey. He popped a slice into his mouth and chewed while he walked. After doing this for the fifth time, he felt a wet nose on the side of his hand and looked down at Rose.

_Wanna leave some for us_? She thought to him.

"Sorry," he said, "Sliced turkey is one of my favorite things and I can't eat just one."

He reached into the sack, pulled out another slice and held it out for Rose. Rose opened her mouth and then pulled her head away when she feared she might accidentally bite him. The Doctor stopped and Rose stopped with him. He held the turkey up above her head.

"Head up, mouth open," he said.

Rose tilted her head up and opened her mouth wide. The Doctor dropped the turkey into her mouth.

"There ya go, feeding you with no risk of bites," he said as Rose closed her mouth and chewed.

They walked on and the Doctor closed the plastic container for the turkey. He glanced at Rose as she walked beside him.

"Curious that a bite does turn one into a werewolf," he mused as they walked. "I suppose something in the saliva is a mutating agent?"

_Don't know,_ Rose thought.

"Did the wolf actually bite you?" the Doctor said to her.

_No, it tried but it scratched me with his tooth._

"So, it has to be saliva then, the Doctor said. "Rose, perhaps you'd be so kind as to offer up some drool so I can analyze it?"

_You want me to drool all over your face then,_ she thought wryly.

"No, into a tube will do," he said while Rose snuffled out laughter.

He glanced down and ran his hand through the fur on her back and then kept his hand between her shoulder blades while they walked. Rose let out a contented sigh, loving the feel of his hand on her back. The Doctor looked back at the others.

"I have a few possibilities in mind if you want to go to other planets," the Doctor said. "I know one where the moon never sets so you could stay werewolves for as long as you liked. The only time you'd change back is if you went indoors. But if you want just a monthly change, I know Earthlike planets or…you could stay here on Earth and just find another place where you could live sheltered and in peace. What'd ya think? Or…you could stay with me and be my werewolf entourage. I'd love to see any baddie stand up to me and seven werewolves."

Rose snuffled laughter and the Doctor scratched her head fondly before putting it on her back again. He glanced over when Max loped up to him on his other side and glanced sideways at him.

_These other planets you know of, do they have lycan like us?_ He thought to the Doctor.

"Not offhand but I can ask my TARDIS to try to find an ideal planet that will have others like you so you won't be alone," he said to him.

He looked back when he felt someone nudge his butt and saw Victoria walking behind him.

You can really go anywhere in time and space, she thought to him.

"Yup, which is why I have a very good chance of finding you the perfect planet. I can even take you lot back in time to a time when Earth isn't so crowded, if you'd like that. Just reach a decision and let me know."

_What about it, Pretty? Care to come with us and be the alpha female?_ Max thought to Rose.

Rose flinched when she noticed a hint of anger cross the Doctor's face for a moment and she knew that question didn't sit well with him. Max must have sensed his anger too because he spoke before Rose did.

_I meant no offense since I can tell you're cross at me for saying that,_ he thought to the Doctor. _I don't know if you know it but she's got a lot of power and a strong wolf aura. She would make a good leader._

"I don't doubt that since I've seen her leadership skils firsthand. But…strong wolf aura? Are you sensing the Bad Wolf then?"

_Rose isn't a bad wolf, that's just rubbish from films._

"No, no, I mean, there was this entity that possessed Rose briefly about a month ago, it called itself the Bad Wolf. I don't know if it's an actual wolf but I'm just wondering if you're sensing that in her."

Max gave Rose a quizzical look. Rose thought back and told him she would explain it later since it was a detailed explanation. Max nodded and asked her again if she was coming with them. But before Rose could answer, the Doctor stopped everyone. Rose stiffened when they heard men's voices up ahead. The voices were coming closer and Max looked back at his friends.

_Hide! Now!_ He thought to them.

The wolves all scattered except for Rose. The Doctor looked at her when she didn't move.

"Rose," he hissed at her, "hide."

_I want to stay with you,_ she thought.

"Rose, those are the hunters, they'll shoot you…"

_No, I mean, I made my decision and I want to stay with you. I care for my new friends but I love traveling with you more. I want to come back if you'll have me._

The Doctor nodded at that and smiled before he gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head. He whispered for Rose to run and she stood up and took the rucksack and sacks from him. She gave him a quick lick on the cheek before she turned and ran through the trees. The Doctor made sure everyone was hidden before he hurried to intercept the hunting party.

"Gentlemen!"

George gasped and the Doctor held up his hands when he and the other men aimed their rifles with one hand while they pointed their torches at him with the other.

"I'm not a wolf, I hope that's obvious," he said to them as they let out sighs of relief and lowered their guns. "So don't shoot me, thanks."

"Where were you? We thought you decided not to come," George said.

"Um…never been much for patience so I decided to get a head start. Sorry."

"Have you found anything?" David said.

"Not a sausage and I'm sure if I had a sausage, those werewolves would come running right to me," he said. "You lot, anything?"

"Nope," George said with a shake of his head. "We're still looking though. We won't stop until those filthy beasts are wiped off the face of the Earth."

Rose, who was watching from the shadows behind some trees, looked over at Max who was in another cluster of shadows. Max growled deep in his throat upon hearing that.

_Not if I wipe you off the Earth first, old man,_ he thought.

_Just calm down, let the Doctor handle it,_ Rose thought to him.

_And if he can't?_ Max though to her. _What if they push past him, find us and start shooting? _

_Then the Doctor will start shoving their guns up their arses,_ Rose thought. _Just lay low, yeah?_

Max growled but he stayed put while the Doctor talked to the men. Rose saw him pointing off to his left and heard him tell them that he was sensing something might be in that direction and asked if they'd like to come with him to take a look. She saw the men look in the direction he was pointing and then they huddled and had a conference while the Doctor waited for them to make a decision. Rose felt antsy waiting for them to leave. The men being so close to her with their guns made her nervous and she wished this happened before the transformation took place.

Then suddenly a rabbit ran through the trees, rustling leaves and grass.

Sorry, Ian thought, a rabbit was hopping by me and I startled it.

Everyone froze when the men broke out of their huddle and they crouched as low as they could go when they all looked their way.

"What's over there, I wonder?" David said, pointing to the trees they were hiding behind.

"Just a rabbit," the Doctor said. "That's what made the noise, I'm sure of it. Why don't we go this way?" he added, pointing to his left.

"Wait a tic, I wanna check out this spot," George said.

The wolves shrank back when George and two of his friends headed towards them. The Doctor walked alongside them, trying to discourage them but they didn't listen. The wolves kept backing up, their eyes on the hunters while the Doctor tried to encourage them to go with him.

Then Victoria stepped on a branch and winced when it broke under her weight with a loud CRACK! The wolves froze at that and Max growled low in his throat when the men aimed their torches in their direction. They all tried to lay on the ground but George's torchlight caught John's eyes and he screamed out, "Wolf!" before he and the other two men aimed their guns. The other men came running while the Doctor tried to stop them.

Suddenly, there was a howl and Max burst out from behind a tree and tried to lunge at George's throat. The Doctor screamed, "NO!" as he made contact with his body. George's gun went off as Max shoved him to the ground and the Doctor gasped when he heard one of the wolves let out a pained yelp.

"Max, get off him now!" the Doctor said to Max while George tried to shove him off.

He made a move to shove Max off the downed man when he saw the other men heading through the trees towards what they thought was the direction of the wolf that made the yelp. The Doctor was telling Max to get off George when suddenly he heard a voice in his head and words that chilled him to the bone.

_Doctor, I've been shot in the leg and I can't move very well and they're coming for me with their guns. Help me, please!_ Rose thought to him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The Doctor was torn between going to Rose and trying to keep Max from mauling George. He knew as soon as they saw Rose they would shoot her on the spot so he knew he had to leave George for the moment.

"Max, listen to me!" the Doctor said to him. "You got through telling me that you're not a bad wolf and here you are trying to kill someone. Prove to me that you're not a killer, Max!"

He left it at that and turned and ran through the trees. Rose was lying on the ground, whimpering as blood poured from a bullet wound in her left leg. The other werewolves were in a semicircle behind her, growling and snarling at the hunters as they approached the injured Rose. Rose saw the Doctor and whimpered, her eyes pleading with him for help. The Doctor raced ahead of the hunters and fell on his knees in front of Rose, using his body as a shield. The men paused when they saw the Doctor staring up at them while he put his hand on Rose's head.

"Get back," he growled at the hunters.

"Doctor, that's a vicious animal," David said. "It's been killing animals and it'll be killing us next."

"Maybe if you stop shooting at them, they won't kill you. Now back away!"

The hunters spun around when Max came through the trees and growled at them. The Doctor looked at his teeth and claws and was relieved to see no blood on them. He noticed George getting to his feet. He looked dazed but uninjured and was pleased that he got through to him.

"Max, no!" the Doctor said when Max came closer to the hunting party.

_They hurt Rose_, Max thought to him.

_And like I said, you need to be the bigger person, _the Doctor thought back. _Step back; there's been enough violence tonight without you lot adding to it._

Max growled at the hunters as he slowly walked over to the Doctor's side. He looked at Rose and gave her a loving lick on the muzzle. The hunters raised their guns and aimed.

"Let them go. I'll deal with them but if you shoot them, you'll live to regret it," the Doctor said.

"You're on their side?" George said, stumbling through the trees.

"Yes, because I've spent time with them and they're not a threat. This one attacked you because you were threatening them. You would have done the same if someone was pointing a gun at you. Now back away and leave them alone. They're human beings, same as you, and this one is injured. The last thing she needs is you lot pointing a gun at her head."

The Doctor took off his trenchcoat and jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He was trying to tear it into strips so he could bind Rose's leg and try to stop the bleeding. Max saw what was doing and bit into the shirt, tearing it with his teeth. The Doctor thanked him when he had a big enough strip and turned his attention to Rose while the others clustered around them and guarded them from the hunters. Rose whimpered and the Doctor smiled tenderly giving her a hushed apology when he lifted her leg to move the cloth underneath. Max licked Rose's muzzle, trying to comfort her while the Doctor tied the cloth around the wound.

"We need to get her to hospital but the problem is what hospital would admit her?" the Doctor said. "If I can get back to my TARDIS, I can bring it here and take her to my med bay. I can heal her leg better than any doctor could. But…"

He glared at the hunters and stood up.

"I need to get something to take care of this young lady," he said, pointing to Rose. "I need to leave here and get it and I'm giving this lot permission to kill you if you try to shoot her or any of them. You got me?"

George, David and the others nodded.

"And if they don't kill you, I'll report you lot for hunting without licenses and killing an endangered animal. So if I were you, I'd keep those bloody fingers off the triggers."

He gave them a look of warning and the hunters backed away, lowering their guns. He turned towards his friends.

"Look after her, it might be awhile," he said.

No, I can help, get on my back, I'm big enough that you can ride me, Max thought. I'll get you there in no time.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He knelt down and put his hand on Rose's ribs.

"I'll return very soon, promise," he said to her.

Rose raised her head and licked the Doctor's hand when he brought it near her mouth. He rubbed her muzzle before getting back up. The Doctor got on Max's back, laid down on it and wrapped his arms around Max's neck. Max waited till he was ready and then loped off through the woods, going as fast as he could without the Doctor falling off his back.

Meanwhile, the remaining wolves lay down around Rose, grooming her and keeping her safe. Rose noticed that the hunters had backed up several feet but they hadn't left yet and she hoped the Doctor wouldn't be long since she wasn't entirely sure that the hunters wouldn't start shooting. But George suddenly lowered his gun and slowly walked towards them. The wolves around Rose growled and bared their teeth and he stopped.

No, wait; let him come, Rose thought to them. He's unarmed…I think, she added, hoping he didn't have a hunting knife on him somewhere.

The wolves stopped growling and Rose yipped at George, trying to encourage him to come closer. Her pack gave him wary looks as he tentatively came over to Rose and knelt down beside her. Rose held her head still when he reached his hand out and laid it on her head.

"Careful, George," one of his friends said.

"She didn't hurt the Doctor. I think the Doctor's right, they're still human inside. Aren't ya, girl?"

Rose wished at this very moment that she could speak without telepathy since she wanted to tell him that she was and she forgave him since it was a stray bullet that got her. She nuzzled her nose and licked the palm of his hand while her friends kept a close watch on him. George smiled as he stroked the fur on her back.

"Forgive me, "he said to Rose. "I didn't realize that you weren't evil. I'm sorry this happened and I hope the Doctor can mend you."

Rose turned her head towards his hand and licked it when he put it near. The others, seeing this, dropped their guns and sat down while they waited for the Doctor to return. Rose closed her eyes and sighed contentedly when George scratched behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," George murmured to her while he scratched. "Poor dear, the Doctor will mend you."

Rose smiled and flicked her tail, enjoying the feel of his fingers behind her ear. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor to do the same for her since she loved the sensation.

He sat with Rose for about a half hour until they finally heard the wheezing of the TARDIS somewhere through the trees. Rose raised her head and telepathically told her friends it was the Doctor while she yipped for the Doctor in case he couldn't remember where she was. The Doctor came through the trees. He froze when he saw George but Rose telepathically told them what happened while he was gone.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," George said, unaware Rose was speaking telepathically. "I realize you were right and this is a person deep inside. I didn't mean to shoot her and I've been keeping her company, waiting for you to come back. I think she forgave me but I hope you will."

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He glanced at the other men who were still sitting nearby.

"I need help carrying her into my ship," he said to them. "Will you help me?"

_Where's Max?_ Rachel thought to him.

_He's in the TARDIS. He changed back into a human since there are no windows in there to let the light in so I told him to stay in there so he doesn't have to come out and go through the change again. But be prepared because the moment you go inside, you'll change back into humans._

The wolves moved back and the men gathered around Rose and lifted her. She weighed a considerable amount but there were eight of them including the Doctor and they carried her easily. The wolves trailed them while the Doctor, carrying Rose's head, led them through the trees to his TARDIS.

"Wait a minute," David said when he saw the TARDIS, "that's a police box. I remember those. What's it doing here?"

"It's my ship," the Doctor said as he let go of Rose's head to get at his key. "Never mind, no time for explanations," he added when he saw the confused looks. "Just bring her inside and lay her on the floor because they're all going to change back into humans once they're in here."

He opened the door and then men and wolves entered. Max was sitting on the jump seat. The TARDIS had provided him with a white t-shirt, jeans and some underwear, socks and shoes. He came around the console and chuckled when he saw the shocked expressions on his pack and the hunter's faces.

"Yeah, I had the same look," he said.

They laid Rose down near the console and watched while she and the other wolves began to change back. The Doctor rushed outside and found Rose's rucksack and the sacks of food. By the time he came back, Rose and the others were completely human again and the hunters were murmuring in wonder while they looked at all of them. The Doctor dropped the rucksack and sacks near the top of the lamp and walked over to Rose. He gathered her in his arms and walked with her while everyone else followed him. The bloodied cloth was now loose since Rose's leg had shrunk in size and it hung from her leg while he carried her. The TARDIS moved the entrance of the med bay to the back door and the Doctor entered and laid Rose on the examination table.

"I can take it from here," he said to the crowd gathered around Rose. "Go back out the door and you'll find the kitchen and…TARDIS, please provide my friends with some clothes and also some refreshments while I handle this."

The TARDIS grunted and the Doctor pointed to the door when she moved the kitchen's entrance to it. Everyone walked out and Rose lay quietly and watched while the Doctor began taking the steps to heal her leg.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

An hour and a half later, the Doctor appeared at the kitchen door. He had put on a fresh shirt under his jacket and had scrubbed the blood off his hands and arms.

"She's fine," he said to everyone. "She lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion but she'll mend. I gave her a sedative so she's sleeping at the moment. I'll let you know when she wakes up."

"Doctor, these people have told us what you told them about you being an alien and all," George said. "I'd find it hard to believe except I've just seen werewolves and a huge ship inside a police box so after all that, I'm ready to believe anything."

"Good because that's what I am and like these werewolves, I'm no threat to any of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm parched and I need a bit of tea."

The Doctor fixed himself a mug of tea and chatted with everyone while they drank tea and ate biscuits and scones. After several hours, the TARDIS grunted and the Doctor told them that Rose was awake. The Doctor asked the TARDIS to move the med bay door and they stepped through it when she did. Rose was lying in a bed by the back wall, a saline drip going into her wrist while she relaxed. She looked over and smiled when everyone entered the room.

"Everyone's still here?" Rose said.

"Yup, been getting to know one another," the Doctor said while they gathered around her. "How're you feeling?"

"Leg hurts but other than that, I'm alright," Rose said. "Nice to know I'm loved."

"I'm sorry for what happened, Rose," George said.

"Nah, no worries. You weren't aiming for me. I forgive you."

She smiled when George leaned over and gave her a hug. She chatted with everyone for a moment before she asked for some alone time with Max. Everyone left and Max pulled up a chair that was near the bed and sat by her side.

"Max, I made my choice and I want to stay here," Rose said, taking his hand. "I appreciate you bringing me into your pack and making me one of you but my place is here."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rose, you would have made a great alpha female."

"Yeah, well, I can still be that. The Doctor needs someone to give him a swift kick in the arse now and then."

Max chuckled. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"You're always welcome among us, Rose."

"And you're always welcome here. Wherever you are, I'm gonna make sure we can go back from time to time so I can say hello to my second family."

"Are you going to let the Doctor cure you?"

"Dunno. I'm still debating that. There's pros and cons to being a werewolf but whatever happens, I'll remain friends with you lot."

Max nodded and gave her another kiss on the forehead.

"Better get some more rest, Pretty, and let that leg heal so you can give the normals a swift kick in the arse."

"I don't think I'll be doing much kicking with this leg for awhile," Rose said.

Max squeezed her hand. Rose squeezed back and he put his hand on her hair for a moment before getting up and leaving the room.

(Later…)

The Doctor, Max and his pack waved goodbye to George and his friends when they left the TARDIS.

"Good luck," George said. "And take care of Rose, all of you. Good luck wherever you're going."

"You too," the Doctor said. "Good morning."

George and his friends looked over and noticed the sun was coming up. They nodded and waved once more before they walked away. Once they were out of sight, the Doctor ushered his friends back inside and closed the door.

"Right, let's see if we can find you lot a new home," he said, heading to the console.

THE END (To be continued…)


End file.
